Container cap



June 7, 1949. PETERSON v 2,472,436

CONTAINER CAP Filed June 18 1947 INVENTOR z I I a ATTORNEYS Patented June 7, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER CAP Dana Peterson, Newton, Mass.

Application June 18, 1947, Serial No. 755,374

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to container caps, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a container cap adapted particularly for use as removable closures for containers having threaded necks, that may be formed from a minimum of inexpensive material, and with a manufacturing cost far below that required in the art as heretofore known.

It is a further important object of the invention to provide a cap, which, while capable of being constructed with a decided minimum of expense, is nevertheless adapted to serve as a closure with unusual efliciency.

Still another object is to provide a container cap capable of being applied to the threaded neck of a container with unusual case and speed, whereby the length of time required in applying the cap, or removing it, is greatly shortened.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds,

the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 shows in elevation a container having a threaded neck, to which one form of the invention is applied as a closure, the container cap being shown in transverse section.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment of the cap illustrated in Figure 1, taken from the under side of the cap.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the cap. Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of a modification.

Figure 5 1s a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and more particularly, referring to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 through 3, the cap there shown is formed from a piece of resilient bendable material, which material can readily, with full effect still being given to the invention, be formed from a type which can be produced at very low cost.

The cap, in blank, can, as will be apparent, be flat and substantially rectangular. Thus, it is 2 4 readily seen that in the initial step of forming such caps, elongated strips of the material used can be cut at intervals to provide substantially rectangular pieces, an operation which is unusually simple and cheaply performed, under mass production methods.

The cap is formed with an intermediate fiat body portion 5, which serves as the closure for the opening in threaded neck N of a container C. The sides of the cap are transversely and downwardly bent, preferably curvingly, so as to provide a downwardly extended longitudinal tongue 6, having a neck-gripping edge I, and on the opposite side longitudinal tongue 8 having gripping edge 9.

As shown particularly in Figure 1, tongue 8 is downwardly extended from the body portion 5 a greater distance than is tongue 6, this being a particular construction devised for the purpose of applying my container cap to the threaded neck end. The threaded necks of containers of the general type to which my cap is applicable, as is well known, are commonly formed with coarse threads that are readily noted, by visual observation, as being noticeably inclined.

Intermediate the ends of the gripping edge 9, there is formed therein a shallow arcuate recess ID, the arcuate formation of which corresponds substantially to the arcuate formation of the threaded neck end.

Preferably, at one end of the cap illustrated in Figures 1 through 3, there is provided an end member ll, curvingly formed at its ends, conformably to the curves of tongues 6 and 8, this end member ll being suitably and permanently fastened to the rear edges of the tongues B and 8. and of the body portion 5.',' This serves as a reinforcement member, wherebytongues 5 and 8 may be prevented from spreading after long usage of the cap.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 4 through 5, this is also readily formed from a rectangular piece of resilient and bendable material, and is provided with a body portion 12, depending tongues l3 and l 4, one of which is downwardly extended a greater distance than the other}. these being provided with gripping edges. l5 and I6 respectively. A shallow notch I1 is formed in the gripping edge [6.

In the second embodiment of the invention, and referring particularly to Figure 4, it is to be noted that the gripping edges [5 and I6 are parallel to each other, while in the first embodiment, and referring to Figure 3 particularly, it is to be noted that these are arranged in slightly diverging relation. This particular formation can be reversed as to either embodiment, and additionally, the end member can without departure from the spirit of the invention be used on the second embodiment, as desired.

Various other changes in the exact design can as well be efiected, as will be obvious, the embodiments illustrated being shown purely as preferred embodiments, and notwnecessarilyas the only forms in whi'chi'thevcap could be constructed within the spirit of the invention.

In operation of the invention, the cap is applied to the threaded neck end with unusual ease. in engagement with the uppermostgroove defined by the threads, for instance, at the point designated by the numeral I 8' 'inFigure1. S1- multaneously, gripping edge 9 is positioned slightly lower, as shown at l9. It is necessary, then, only togive the .cap a partial turn, where- :upon'thebody portionfmiilltbe brought into tight engagementwith the' top "of thethreaded neck end, with gripping :-edges""| and 9 positionedat points" 20 and. 2 I respectively.

It is to be'noted; in this-connection, that the shallow .cut-awaypart .or .depression ID in the tongue "8 servesqas ai'guide, whereby the container cap .is retained in proper position while being given the partial turn described.

.Theoontainer cap 'formed as shown and describe'dherein can, as is' believed obvious, be

constructed .inumass quantity with probably a .c0mplete..minimum of .expense,.since the cap is of exceedingly simple formation, embodying the ruse.of.cheapmaterials,. which are readily and easily. formed with the-fewest, steps possible into a container capa'dapted to efiicientlyandtightly .closethe neck-oi thecontainer. .One of theimportant. objects-oi the invention, as stated, has

been v.the rovision of ,a.cap.capab1e of being manufactured .with suchlease, and with a mini- ,mum ofcheapsmaterials. .Yet, though capable of,ready-.and cheap manufacture, the cap has nevertheless beenrdevisedto include aguide portion as shown at I 0,. means for tightly closing theacontainer openings and the employment of an rexceedingly quick and simple operation in .applying thecap.

An alternative way to applythecap ofiFigs. '65 1,349,511

Gripping edge I is preferably positioned pearing as the upper edge in Fig. 3) flat upon the top of the neck N. The outwardly diverging tongues 6 and 8 are spaced apart at this end of the cap a greater distance than the diameter of the neck. As the cap is slidably advanced across the neck, the tongues now come into sliding contact with the neck and are pressed outwardly thereby. Continued advancement of the cap causes it to snap into proper position as the recess 10 is presented to the thread groove. Since the body portion is already positioned against the top of the neck, rotatable movement now given the cap may be limited only to a very short distance to tighten the body portion -against the meek, andltheirotationcanbe given, i for example, through ifii oflaicircle or less. The full slidable advancing movement can be given b'efore the rotatable movement, both movements .canbe given simultaneously, or the full rotatable movement can be interposed between an initial aandtarfinalzslidable advance.

What is claimed is:

A'containermap including a flat substantially rectangular body portion, end-to-end longitudinally diverging tonguesr depending from opposed ,sides thereof. and formed. integrally therewith, .one of the tongues...deperiding azgreater .distance than the other.- tongue, saidlcap .open ,at one .end ,at least. for slidab1eadvancement of thecap, over the container. mouth withjhe body,,portiori, .positioned flat 1i thereagainst, f inwardly "turned.;gripping edges onthe tongueslpropontioned,for engagement by the threads of the ,threadedmeck of .a container and ,meansembodie'dlin one of the gripping .edgesr constituting a .guide whereby to retain the .cap jin ,iproper ;-relation .to the threaded. neck vduring application. orremoval 6f the cap, said means being in the form of ashallow .depression..cut.,in saidledge, the ends of: said ldepression terminating .a substantial .Tdistance from the .erids ofithe..gripping edge .in which it is formed.

TDANAPETERSON.

REFERENCESCITED The following"reierencesaare-of record; in =the file of this-patent:

UNITED "STATES 'PAT'ENTS Number *Name Date 96'-,873 wBoorsel -N0v.- 16, .1869 609,974 Parsons et al. :.=Aug. 30,i--J.898 758,235 Cody rApr.1-26, 1 1904 1,196,510 rBlatta-m- -JAugt29, 1'916 rKanalbinder .0... :.-Aug. l-IO, @1920 1;597;238 :Maddox- =Aug.:24, 1926 

